They met while looking for a classroom on their first day at UC Berkeley School of Optometry. Flash-forward, and this husband-and-wife duo now run four Village Eyecare practices in Chicago (and a household with three children).

Here, Dr. Sood and Dr. Sarai dish out their top 7 mantras for business.

—Kerri Ann Raimo

1. Always remember WHY you got into this field. Part of why I love private practice is that we can react quickly to change and ADAPT IN RESPONSIVE WAYS that promote patient care. —Dr. Sood
2. Respond to EACH + EVERY PATIENT REVIEW on Google, Yelp, and Facebook. —Dr. Sarai
3. BUILD A STRONG BRAND. YOUR BRAND IS EVERYTHING! —Dr. Sood
4. TECHNOLOGY, TECHNOLOGY, TECHNOLOGY. We’ve placed a premium on investing in diagnostic equipment (do your ROI first!), and it’s expanded the number and types of patients we can care for. —Dr. Sarai
5. BE FLEXIBLE + ADAPTABLE. —Dr. Sood
6. EDUCATE YOUR PATIENTS. I review all the scans and images taken during the visit…a picture is worth a thousand words! —Dr. Sarai
7. NEVER STOP LEARNING… it stimulates the brain, brings ideas to the office, and definitely keeps things fun. —Dr. Sarai

For a look at what’s happening in the Windy City, follow @VillageEyecare on Instagram.